india

Windpower Monthly rating 3/5

Our rating is based on a combination of project pipeline, political and policy support, investor confidence and structural readiness of the country in terms of grid infrastructure, permitting process and local supply chain.

Forecast of installed and operating wind power capacity based on the latest statisitics and measured against the Windpower Intelligence database.

Since the launch of the National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008, renewable energy in India, particularly the wind power sector, has seen a marked growth trajectory.

The industry is now targeting 60GW of wind capacity to be installed by 2022, but it already expects to exceed that.

Introduction of an offshore wind power policy has also encouraged the buoyant outlook for the country, with a 1GW site planned off the windy northwest state of Gujarat being investigated.

The 2017 auctions shook the industry, with prices falling to INR 2.43/kWh ($38.88/MWh). This in turn led some state utilities to stop signing new power deals unless other wind projects matched the low bids.

Grid restraints continue to constrain the industry with some developers unwilling to give up their connection capacity, despite being unsuccessful in the tenders, while other winners are unable to connect to the grid. The age old dispute of land rights remains a regular stumbling block.

The presence of several experienced equipment manufacturers with turnkey project implementation capabilities continues to provide much-needed comfort to a variety of investors.

INDIA: The 2MW-plus class dominates current installations in Asia's second largest market, but as in other low-wind regions, the trends is towards higher ratings and bigger turbines. Eize de Vries visits Vestas' and Nordex's nacelle assembly plants.

GERMANY: The German turbine maker has developed a high-performance charging station for the latest generation of electric vehicles, and has ambitious plans for wind power development in India and Argentina.

INDIA/BELGIUM: Eize de Vries visits the gearbox manufacturer's facilities in India and Belgium to talk about market challenges and discover how the company's flexible platform can help drive down costs while scaling up for ever bigger turbines.

INDIA: A record of 5.4GW of new wind installations in the last financial year seems to put India well on its way to a 60GW target by 2022. Windpower Monthly looks at a fast-growing and rapidly changing market, with the reins increasingly in the hands of new players betting big on wind.